Laura's Room, 20 December

[noteful]

It's actually a little terrifying, in Meg's opinion, how quickly Parker Lee gets things done.

One minute, they're standing down in the bar, having all just run into each other for the first time in ages.

The next, they're at the door to Laura's fairly utilitarian room in Milliways, because Parker has decided this calls for an impromptu Christmas party.

And ten minutes later, Parker has decorated that room almost past the point of recognition. She's thrown a bright red cloth over the crates against the back wall and laid out an array of Christmas cookies, a tray of sandwiches, funnel cakes ("funnel cake is totally festive," Parker tells them), pitchers of egg nog and some kind of green punch. She's got Christmas music playing on a CD player, she's spread cushions on the floor for them to sit on, and she's festooned the whole room with red and green tinsel-like garland and Christmas lights.

Given another twenty minutes, Meg is pretty sure Parker could have set up a tree, built a fireplace for marshmallow toasting, and possibly ordered up just the right amount of snow to have falling past the windows.

Actually, for all Meg knows, Parker may yet do all that.

And who knows what else.

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not think they would be comfortable," X agrees.

Then she stands up, slipping through the mess of cushions and decorations, heading for the door.

"I will be back."

And then she's gone.







And when she returns, 4.8 minutes later, she's got two small brown-wrapped boxes in her hand.

"I did not forget. About presents."

[noteful]

"Of course you didn't.

"Mine first?"

The silver ribboned box goes to Laura and the gold to Parker.

They both contain silver charm bracelets, each with two charms as a start. Laura got a tropical fish, and Parker a ball of yarn stuck through with needles.

The other charm is the same on both, a small flat disc, engraved with the word friends on one side, and the letters L M P on the other.

[parkerlee]

Parker's smile softens as she rubs her thumb across the engraved initials on the disc.

"Meg, this is beautiful. And I love the little yarn."

She fastens the bracelet around her wrist, and gives the bracelet an experimental jangle.

[cutting_edgex23]

X spends a few long moments looking at the bracelet, then reaches out and brushes across the tropical fish with her fingertips.

"I do not have one of those in my aquarium."

Beat.

"Yet."

Maybe that will be her first purchase of the new year.

Who knows?

"Thank you."

[noteful]

It was the prettiest of the fish charms Meg could find.

"You're welcome.

"You can add other charms as you find ones you like."

The bracelets can get really jangly.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Okay," X says. It has the sound of a mental note in it.

X makes a lot of those.

And after another few moments and a quick sideways look at Parker, X hands over her packages.

They contain bracelets, as well. Solid steel alloy composed of interlocking Xs, one of which is just slightly heavier than the others.

This is because there is a communicator inside of it.

X believes in being prepared.

[noteful]

Meg unwraps things slowly and neatly, without tearing the paper.

Her smile gets very bright, once she's gotten the box open.

"Great minds think alike," she says to Laura.

It's a good Christmas for bracelets.

[parkerlee]

"We do have a collection of great minds going on," Parker says.

She goes to put this bracelet on the other wrist, but pauses for a moment to examine one of the x's of the bracelet.

"Laura? What's this?" she asks.

[cutting_edgex23]

X leans over, head tilting for a brief moment -- just to make sure.

"It is a communicator. Touch-activated. They are useful in combat. And elsewhere."

Beat.

"It is good to be prepared."

[noteful]

Meg blinks a little.

It's not exactly standard technology for her world.

"Oh.

"How does it work?"

Will it work from home, or just in the bar?

[cutting_edgex23]

"Here," X says, leaning forward to tap on the appropriate x.

"You talk. And we can hear it."

There's a tinny echo from within X's space. She taps her own belt buckle.

"It is not difficult. And there are earpieces. If stealth is necessary."

They're hidden under the cotton -- and they are remarkably small -- but they are in the boxes.

That same tinny sound is now coming out of both bracelets. It stops when X taps her buckle again.

[parkerlee]

"Oh, that is just cool. Thank you."

Really, what little girl didn't want advanced spy gear at some point in her life?

"Well, girls. My mind was not in on the collective greatness this time around. My first and final hint is that I did not get you bracelets."

Parker hands Laura and Meg their respective boxes. Both contain Everything Nice merchandise, from some of the store's more conservative lines (as conservative as it gets, anyway). Meg's is a nightie in a rich shade of green--floaty and romantic. Laura's is sleeker, leaning heavily toward black silk and purple Chinese brocade.

"Use them wisely," she grins.

[noteful]

"Parker!"

[parkerlee]

Parker cops a solemn expression.

Not very successfully.

"Meg?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Parker," X says, voice level and matter-of-fact.

"Thank you."

Beat.

Beat.

"It will be useful. For work."

It's possibly that X is joking.

But probable? Who can say.

[parkerlee]

"You're welcome. And I'll want to hear about that mission."

Parker aims a piece of popcorn at Meg's open mouth.

She misses.

"It doesn't bite. Promise."

[noteful]

Parker gets a look, in response to the popcorn barrage.

"It's . . . um . . .

"It's lovely, Parker, I just . . ."

have no idea what to do with it.

She certainly doesn't need it for work.

[cutting_edgex23]

X dredges through the depths of her experience, looking for something to say.

And into one of the pauses in Meg's delivery --

"Green is a good color. For you."

It is something people say, right? About clothes.

X does not have much capability to judge.

[parkerlee]

"It is," Parker agrees. "And it should fit. Both of them for that matter. I'm good at guessing sizes."

Within half a cup size at first meeting. It's a gift. One she hadn't really realized she had until going to work for Sophie.

Parker smiles at Meg, nudging her knee with one toe.

"It's just something for you to wear and feel pretty in."

It's just good to have cloths like that.

[noteful]

"It's very pretty, thank you," Meg says.

"Both of you."

[parkerlee]

Parker nods.

"So. Carols?" she asks.

"Hey, maybe we could take the show on the road. Or downstairs in this case."

[noteful]

Meg looks hastily at the evidence all around them of just how quickly Parker goes from thought to be-tinseled.

"I think we're good here, honestly. You know, we just got settled in and everything."

[cutting_edgex23]

X's shoulders relax fractionally when Meg speaks.

"And I do not know any carols."

Beat.

"I do not sing."

[parkerlee]

"True. We are cozy up here."

It's the candles. And the floor cushions.

"And you don't actually have to sing, or know how to sing, to sing Christmas carols. They're like Happy Birthday. Anyone can sing them."

[noteful]

"Or we can just listen to the CD, and talk about other things."

In non-musical ways.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not know Happy Birthday, either."

She takes this time to break off a piece of funnel cake and start eating it.

Carefully.

The powdered sugar tends to make a mess.

"It is okay."

[parkerlee]

"I say we eat, drink, and be merry," Parker says.

"And, after that....I am dying to try out these communicators."

Parker looks at Laura.

"Are there any rules against playing hide and seek in the building?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X considers that for a moment. Carefully.

Then she shakes her head.

"It is okay. As long as no one gets punched."

Or kicked. Or --

Anyway, it will be useful.

And fun.

And no one will have to sing.